Learning outcomes After completing the case discussion, students will be able to: Case overview/synopsis This case study explores the complex decision-making dilemma of Mughal, a recently retired rural physician, who must determine the future of his eight-acre family date farm in Shikarpur, Sindh, Pakistan. Once a source of family pride and stable income, the farm declined substantially under a five-year informal lease. Neglected irrigation, unskilled labor and poor pest management left the land underperforming. With no immediate family support and limited capacity to manage operations himself, Mughal must now decide how to act before the upcoming pollination season. A promising proposal arrives from Ahsan Khan, a younger farmer with a strong local reputation and proven results using modern farming techniques. He offers a structured, profit-sharing partnership with defined roles and risk mitigation clauses. However, concerns over trust, contract enforcement and emotional legacy make the decision complex. Alternative options include hiring a professional manager – retaining control but incurring higher costs – or selling the land entirely, providing financial closure at the cost of emotional and cultural loss. Set within Pakistan’s fragmented date farming ecosystem, the case study highlights systemic issues such as informal contracting, weak legal protection, limited technical talent, lack of post-harvest infrastructure and rural succession dilemmas. It invites students to evaluate competing alternatives in a high-risk, emotionally sensitive and operationally constrained setting. Complexity academic level This case study is suitable for undergraduate or early master’s students. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship
Ali et al. (2025) studied this question.